Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Sundbyberg

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,354 a month against $1,799 in Sundbyberg, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
Learn more

Bucharest Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Sundbyberg
Learn more

Sundbyberg Living Index

Jump to prices

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,354

/mo nomad

Sundbyberg

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,799

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Sundbyberg

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bucharest and in Sundbyberg actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,354 in Bucharest versus $1,799 in Sundbyberg.

Bucharest $1,354
Sundbyberg $1,799

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Bucharest versus $2,782 in Sundbyberg.

Bucharest $2,043
Sundbyberg $2,782

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,733 in Bucharest versus $3,766 in Sundbyberg.

Bucharest $2,733
Sundbyberg $3,766

Living in Bucharest costs roughly 25% less than in Sundbyberg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.66 RON 70.5

$13.78 SEK 137

6.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.7 RON 277

$65.9 SEK 655

-12.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 RON 36.14

$10.27 SEK 102

-26.78%

Cappuccino

$3.56 RON 17.09

$4.50 SEK 44.79

-20.89%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 RON 11.88

$2.58 SEK 25.68

-4.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 RON 10.50

$2.21 SEK 22.03

-1.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 RON 17.73

$7.15 SEK 71.2

-48.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 RON 20.57

$6.94 SEK 69.0

-38.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 8.04

$1.73 SEK 17.20

-3.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.49

$3.15 SEK 31.36

-57.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.53

$2.96 SEK 29.49

-39.86%

Eggs

$3.56 RON 17.12

$4.67 SEK 46.53

-23.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.12 RON 43.86

$11.65 SEK 116

-21.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.82 RON 32.77

$13.34 SEK 133

-48.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.13 RON 58.3

$27.07 SEK 269

-55.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 RON 6.08

$3.12 SEK 31.05

-59.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 RON 7.80

$2.70 SEK 26.91

-40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.49

$1.98 SEK 19.71

-21.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.21

$4.75 SEK 47.22

-46.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 RON 3.76

$1.43 SEK 14.26

-45.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.72

$1.78 SEK 17.69

-56.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 RON 4.27

$2.33 SEK 23.19

-61.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 RON 4.32

$1.90 SEK 18.94

-52.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 RON 31.49

$5.94 SEK 59.1

10.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.37 RON 30.60

$9.96 SEK 99.2

-36.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 RON 5.98

$2.00 SEK 19.88

-38.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 RON 7.80

$2.53 SEK 25.22

-35.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 RON 4.11

$3.88 SEK 38.58

-78.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.71 RON 99.6

$99.2 SEK 987

-79.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 RON 2.95

$8.59 SEK 85.5

-92.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.95

$1.20 SEK 11.92

-49.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 RON 29.62

$22.39 SEK 223

-72.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 RON 9.60

$1.69 SEK 16.83

18.34%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.9K RON 134.4K

$20.3K SEK 201.9K

37.79%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.3K RON 121.7K

$25.3K SEK 252.0K

0.01%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$192 RON 923

$101 SEK 1,009

89.51%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$7.92 RON 38.06

$28.56 SEK 284

-72.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.96 RON 43.06

$44.49 SEK 443

-79.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.99 RON 240

$32.36 SEK 322

54.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 RON 119

$25.90 SEK 258

-4.21%

Cinema Ticket

$8.51 RON 40.90

$17.17 SEK 171

-50.44%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$686 RON 3,297

$59.4 SEK 591

1054.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K RON 69.3K

$5,129 SEK 51.0K

181.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.2 RON 434

$70.6 SEK 703

27.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.74 RON 186

$50.0 SEK 498

-22.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.9 RON 379

$72.5 SEK 721

8.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 RON 443

$134 SEK 1,329

-31.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$711 RON 3,419

$1,063 SEK 10.6K

-33.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 RON 2,220

$617 SEK 6,138

-25.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,053 RON 5,064

$1,736 SEK 17.3K

-39.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 RON 3,474

$1,019 SEK 10.1K

-29.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,634 RON 17.5K

$4,060 SEK 40.4K

-10.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,173 RON 10.4K

$2,806 SEK 27.9K

-22.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,354 RON 6,508

$2,541 SEK 25.3K

-46.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

2.8

141.07%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Bucharest: October 26, 2026

Last update for Sundbyberg: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$462 34.1%

Sundbyberg

$617 34.3% 33.5% $155

Eating Out

Bucharest

$228 16.9%

Sundbyberg

$264 14.7% 15.7% $36

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.6%

Sundbyberg

$401 22.3% 78.2% $176

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$209 15.4%

Sundbyberg

$174 9.7% 16.5% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$135 10%

Sundbyberg

$147 8.2% 8.9% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Sundbyberg

$67 3.7% 0.5% $0.3

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Sundbyberg

$129 7.2% 365% $101

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $711 in Bucharest and $1,063 in Sundbyberg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sundbyberg pays 88% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $58 in Bucharest vs $66 in Sundbyberg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $401 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇸🇪 Sundbyberg

🕒 Local time

17:19 5:19 PM

16:19 4:19 PM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

54,120

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.208 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

100 SEK = 10.05 USD

100 SEK = 9.03 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.81 RON (1 RON = 0.208 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 9.95 SEK (1 SEK = 0.1 USD). 1 EUR = 11.08 SEK (100 SEK = 9.03 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bucharest Sundbyberg 1,750 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Sundbyberg

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Bucharest vs Sundbyberg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Sundbyberg differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($1,354 vs $1,799 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 47% lower in Bucharest. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $711 in Bucharest versus $1,063 in Sundbyberg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,354 per month in Bucharest versus $1,799 in Sundbyberg – a 33% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 79% less than in Sundbyberg. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Bucharest gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Bucharest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Sundbyberg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.